The Kendal Project
	
	Patterns of the sacred in contemporary society
	www.kendalproject.org.uk
	Department of Religious Studies and Institute for Environment,
	Philosophy and Public Policy, Lancaster University.

As you may be aware, the Kendal Project, based at Lancaster University, has for the past two years or so been studying religion and spirituality in Kendal. As part of the project, I have been spending time with a variety of churches in Kendal, including this one, attending services, doing interviews and getting to know the churches as well as possible.

However, there are some things which we cannot find out simply by observation and interviewing, which is why we are very much hoping you would be willing to fill out and return this questionnaire.  It may look long, but a lot of the questions just involve circling choices, so it should only take a few minutes of your time. 

We have used a similar questionnaire in the research in Kendal into non-Christian spirituality and alternative and complementary therapies.  If you have already filled this in, we would nevertheless appreciate it very much if you were to complete this questionnaire as well, since although there is some overlap between the two questionnaires, many of the questions are different.

There is an optional section at the end of the questionnaire for your name and address, should you be interested in participating in further research. Regardless of whether or not you provide this information, you are assured of the total confidentiality of your replies. The overall results of the survey will be used in publications. 

Please return the questionnaire in the box at the back of the church marked "Lancaster University Kendal Project questionnaires", which will be there for the next two weeks.  If you’d rather post it back, please send to: Karin Tusting, The Kendal Project, Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YG.

Our main findings will, in due course, be available on our web site and in a series of publications, and will also be made available to your church.

Many thanks for your time,

Dr. Karin Tusting

Prof. Paul Heelas 
Dr. Benjamin Seel
Dr. Bronislaw Szerszynski
Ms. Linda Woodhead
Ms. Abby Day Peters

PS It should not take more than about ten minutes to complete the questionnaire.
1.  Apart from weddings, funerals and christenings, about how often do you attend religious services these days? (please circle one)

a) More than once a week
b) Once a week
c) Less often than once a week, but at least once a month
d) Less often than once a month, but at least four times a year
e) Less often than four times a year, but at least once a year

2.  For how long have you been attending church regularly? (please circle one)

		a) I have attended church regularly all my life
		b) I attended regularly in childhood, then stopped, then started again.
Please write in your main reason for stopping:
………………………………………………………………………..
Please write in your main reason for starting again: 
………………………………………………………………………
		c) I have only attended church regularly as an adult.
			Please write in your main reason for starting to attend:
			………………………………………………………………………
		d) I do not attend church regularly

3.  For how many years have you been attending this church? (please write in) ……..

4.  Have you ever attended another church in Kendal on a regular basis? (please circle one)
			Yes		No

If 'yes', please indicate which church.  If there has been more than one, please number them with 1 being the one you regularly attended most recently, 2 the second most recently, and so on.

Allhallows		
Beacon of Light Spiritualist		
Bethel Evangelical Chapel (Bethel Pentecostal)		
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 		
Christadelphians		
Fellside Methodist		
First Church of Christ, Scientist		
Hallgarth Community Church (St Thomas' Hallgarth)		
Heron Hill Free Church		
Holy Trinity and St. George Roman Catholic		
Jehovah’s Witnesses		
Kendal Parish Church (Holy Trinity)		
New Life Community Church (or Raines Hall Fellowship)		
Our Lady and St. Oswald K. and M. Anglican Catholic		
Parr Street Evangelical (or Sand Aire)		
Salvation Army		
Sandylands Methodist		
Society of Friends (Quakers)		
St. George’s		
St. Thomas’		
Stricklandgate Methodist		
Unitarian Chapel		
United Reformed Church (Zion Chapel)		
Other (please specify): 
………………………………………………………………		

5.  In addition to attending services, are you currently involved in any other activities or groups linked to this church (such as Sunday School, church committees, sidesmen, prayer groups, choirs, and so on)? (please circle one)

			Yes		No

If yes, please write in the names of the activities or groups:
…………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………….

6.  Are you involved in any religious or Christian groups, activities or organisations not directly linked to this church (such as FGBF, Greenbelt, CAFOD, and so on)? (please circle one)

			Yes		No

If yes, please write in the names of the groups, activities or organisations:
…………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………….

7.  Which of the following have you purchased, read, watched, or listened to during the last year? (please circle any that apply)

a) Christian books or magazines
b) Spiritual or religious (not specifically Christian) books or magazines
c) Christian videotapes, TV or films
d) Spiritual or religious (not specifically Christian) videotapes, TV or films
e) Christian music or relaxation tapes
f) Spiritual or religious (not specifically Christian) music or relaxation tapes
g) Other Christian products (please give an example) ……………………………………………….
h) Other mind, body and spirit products (please give an example) ………………………………………………

8.  Do you ever do any of the following at home? (please circle any that apply)

a) Pray
b) Meditate
c) Read the Bible
d) Read other religious or spiritual literature - please give an example …………….…………………………………………………..
e) Yoga
f) Tai Chi
g) Massage (give or receive)
h) Healing (give or receive)
i) Other religious or spiritual activity (please write in)
.......……………………………………………………….....
....………………………………………………………….....
......…………………………………………………………...

9.    We understand that the following statements are not at all mutually exclusive, but if you had to choose one, which of the following would you say is the best description of your core beliefs about spirituality?  (please circle one)

a) Spirituality is being a caring and decent person
b) Spirituality is healing oneself and others 
c) Spirituality is living life to the full
d) Spirituality is overcoming the ego
e) Spirituality is obeying God’s will
f) Spirituality is being in touch with subtle energies
g) Spirituality is love
h) I don’t know what spirituality is
i)  I’m not concerned with spirituality
j)  I don’t believe in spirituality

10.  Which of these would you say is the highest authority in your life? (please circle one)
a) Scripture
b) The church
c) God
c) Your own reason or judgement
d) Your intuition or feelings

11.  Which of the following would you say is most important to you? (please circle one)
a) Serving God
b) Loving fellow human beings
c) Deepening my relationship with Christ
d) Finding happiness in my life
e) Spiritual growth

12.  For each of these two alternatives, please circle the one that comes closest to describing your beliefs.

God is within me			God is beyond me		
Jesus was both human and divine			Jesus was just an inspired man
We are sinners needing forgiveness		We are wounded needing healing
The important thing is to fulfil your duty	The important thing is to fulfil yourself
You should think of others before yourself		You should follow your heart
Jesus is my Lord and King		Jesus is my Friend and Life
Humans are basically good			Humans are basically sinful
Only true Christians will be saved		All good people will be saved
Faith is believing what we know to be the truth	Faith is trusting without knowing
The important thing is life here on earth	The important thing is life after death
I obey God's commands		God empowers me to create my own life

13.  If you had to rank the importance of your faith from 1 to 10, where 1 indicates it is completely insignificant and 10 indicates it is the most important thing in your life, what number would you give? .……………………………….

14.  Do you believe in any of the following? (please tick one column for each)

	Yes	No	Don’t know	
Life after death				
Reincarnation				
Heaven				
Hell				
The power of prayer				
Miracles				
Special healing powers				
That humankind is entering a New Age of spiritual evolution				
A true self				
A soul				
Some sort of spirit or life force that pervades all that lives				
Chakras				
Subtle energy (or energy channels) in the body				
Extra sensory perception				
Precognition				
God				
Jesus was the son of God				
Jesus was just a man				
Jesus was just a story				
The Holy Spirit				
Sin				
The devil				
Angels				
Other holy or higher beings				
A spirit world				
UFOs				
Ley lines				
Other (please state) ..……………………………….....				
.............…………………………………………………..				
.............…………………………………………………..				

15.  In your personal spiritual life, do you relate most to: (please circle one)

a) God the Father
b) Jesus Christ
c) The Holy Spirit
d) Other

16.  What does belief in 'a soul' mean to you? (please circle any that apply)

a) God made me
b) I am made up of soul and body
c) I am more than a mere biological organism
d) My life will continue after death
e) I am one with all that is
f) There is a part of me that knows the difference between right and wrong
g) There is something of God in me
h) My soul is my true self

17.  People sometimes describe special personal experiences. Have any of the following ever happened to you?  And if they have, would you describe the experience as religious, spiritual or neither?

	If yes, please tick	If yes, please tick any that apply	
		Religious	Spiritual	Neither	
An awareness of receiving help in answer to prayer					
A feeling of being in touch with someone who had died					
An awareness of spirits or ghosts					
An awareness of the presence of God					
A sacred experience of nature					
A pattern of events in your life that convinces you that they were your destiny					
A pattern of events in your life that convinces you that they were controlled by a higher power					
A sense of great peace					
An extraordinary feeling of inner bliss					
An out of body experience					
A near-death experience					
An extraordinary inner experience triggered by giving birth					
An extraordinary inner experience triggered by having sex					
An extraordinary inner experience triggered by taking drugs					
An accurate precognition of future events					
Extra sensory perception of events or someone's thoughts					
Other (please state)..........………………………					
...............…………………………					

18.  Which of the following groups or therapies have you tried in or within 5 miles of Kendal? (Please tick to indicate when you did them, and whether they had some religious or spiritual dimension for you. Remember: In or within 5 miles of Kendal only!)

	(If applicable, please tick one or both)	Does this activity have a religious or spiritual dimension for you? 
(Please tick any that apply)	
	Have attended in the past 7 days	Have tried before	Religious	Spiritual	Neither	
Acupressure						
Acupuncture						
Alexander Technique						
Aromatherapy						
Art therapy/group						
Astrology						
Bahai group						
Buddhist group 						
 A CancerCare group						
Chinese College of Physical Culture						
Chiropractice						
Circle Dancing						
Counselling 						
Cranio-sacral therapy						
Energy management workshops						
Flower essences therapy						
Foot massage						
GreenSpirit group						
Healing/
 Spiritual healing						
Herbalism						
Homeopathy						
Hypnotherapy						
Indian Head massage						
Inter-faith group						
Iona Group						
Kinaesiology						
Massage						
Meridian therapy						
Metamorphic technique						
Naturopathy						
	(If applicable, please tick one or both)	Does this activity have a religious or spiritual dimension for you? 
(Please tick any that apply)	
	Have attended in the past 7 days	Have tried before	Religious	Spiritual	Neither	
Nutritional therapy						
Osteopathy						
Pagan activities						
Palm readings						
Play therapy						
Psychic consultancy						
Psychotherapy						
Rebirthing						
Reflexology						
Reiki						
Relaxation therapy						
Sai Baba group						
Sea of Faith group						
Shiatsu						
Spinal touch therapy						
Tai Chi / Chi Kung						
Taize singing group						
Tarot card reading						
True Vision group						
Universal Peace dancing						
Vision therapy (not opticians)						
Wild Women group						
Women’s spirituality group						
Yoga						
Other(s) (please write in)						

						

19.  Whether or not you have tried any of the above, do you think that alternative or complementary non-church forms of spirituality like those listed above: (please circle any that apply)

a) are unacceptable for Christians
b) are unnecessary for Christians
c) can be useful for some Christians
d) are helpful for Christians
e) have things to teach Christianity (please give an example if you can)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

20.  Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your home life? (please circle one number on the scale below)

Dissatisfied								Satisfied
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10

21.  Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your work life? (please circle one number on the scale below)

Dissatisfied								Satisfied
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10

22.  Do you think society in general is: (please circle one)

a)  Getting better
b)  Getting worse
c)  About the same
d)  Don't know

23.  What are your views on the following? (please tick one column for each topic)

	Always wrong	Usually wrong	Sometimes wrong	Not wrong at all	Don't know	
Homosexual relations between consenting adults						
Having an extramarital affair						
Sex before marriage						
Spanking a child						
Drinking to excess						
Not attending church if you do not feel like it						
Using profanity or swearing						
Getting divorced						
Having an abortion						
Working on a Sunday						
Gambling						
Not paying one's income tax						
Civil disobedience (eg trespassing while engaged in a protest)						
Not voting in an election						
Wives disobeying their husbands						
Children disobeying their parents						

24.  Do you think it proper for the leaders of religion to speak out on: (please tick one column for each topic)

	Proper	Not proper	
Abortion			
Disarmament			
Ecology / environment			
Education			
Euthanasia			
Extramarital affairs			
Global inequality			
Government policy			
Homosexuality			
Poverty			
Racial discrimination			
The family			
Unemployment			

25.  What, if any, was your religious or spiritual upbringing?  (please circle any that apply)

a)	Brought up with a religious faith at home
b)	Brought up with a religious faith at school
c)	Brought up with a religious faith at church
d)	Attended Sunday School
e)	Brought up to be spiritual
f)	Not brought up to be religious or spiritual
g)	Brought up to make up my own mind

26.  If you have children, what, if any, was or is their religious or spiritual upbringing? (please circle any that apply)

a)  Brought up with a religious faith at home
b)  Brought up with a religious faith at school
c)  Brought up with a religious faith at church
d)  Attended Sunday School
e)  Brought up to be spiritual
f)  Not brought up to be religious or spiritual
g)  Brought up to make up their own mind

27.  Did you live in or within five miles of Kendal for some or all of your childhood? (please circle one)

Yes		No

28.  If you have children over the age of 18, how often do they attend church? (please tick one box for each child)

	Child 1	Child 2	Child 3	Child 4	
More than once a week					
Once a week					
Less often than once a week, but at least once a month					
Less often than once a month, but at least four times a year					
Less often than four times a year, but at least once a year					
Never					

29.  Are you: (please circle one)

Male		Female

30.  How old are you?  (please circle one)

under 16			45-49
16-19				50-54
20-24				55-59
25-29				60-64
30-34				65-69
35-39				70-74
40-44				75 and over

31.  Have you ever been a member of any of the following organisations?  (please circle any that apply)

a) The Conservative Party
b) The Labour Party
c) The SDLP / Liberal Party / SDP
d) The Green Party
e) Another political party
f) CND or other peace organisations
g) Feminist organisations
h) Human rights organisations
i) Environmental organisations
j) Other (please state) ........………………………………………….....

32.  Are you currently: (please circle one)

a) Living with husband or wife
b) Living with domestic partner
c) Lone parent living with child or children
d) Living with non-family members
e) Living alone

33.  What is your marital status?  (please circle any that apply)

a) Never married
b) Presently married
c) Divorced
d) Separated
e) Widowed.

34.  Are there any children under the age of 18 living in your household?  (please circle one)

Yes				No

35.  How many adults (including yourself) do you have in your household aged 18 or over? (please write in) 

………………

36.  Which member of your household would you say is the Chief Income Earner, that is, the person with the largest income, whether from employment, pensions, state benefits, investments or any other source?  (please circle one)

	Myself		Partner or Spouse			Other

37.  Which of these best describes what you and the household’s Chief Income Earner were doing last week (during the seven days ending last Saturday)? (If you were on holiday, what were you doing in the way of work before your holiday?) 
	
(please tick)

	You	Chief income earner
 (if this is not you)	
In full-time work			
In full-time education			
O  On a government training/employment scheme			
In  In part-time work			
Waiting to take up paid work in a definite job			
Unemployed and registered at a benefit office			
Unemployed and not registered			
Permanently sick or disabled, or wholly retired from work			
Looking after the home			
Other (please specify)……………………………………….			

38.  What is your occupation and your household’s Chief Income Earner’s occupation?  (please tick)

	You	Chief income earner
(if this is not you)	
Farmer or farm manager			
Farm worker			
Skilled manual worker (e.g. plumber, electrician, fitter, driver, cook, hairdresser)			
Semi-skilled or unskilled manual worker (e.g. postman, machine operator, assembler, waiter, cleaner, labourer)			
Clerical worker (e.g. clerk, secretary, telephone operator)			
Sales worker (e.g. shop assistant, commercial traveller)			
Supervisor or foreman of manual or clerical workers			
Professional or technical occupation (e.g. doctor, teacher, social worker, accountant, computer programmer)			
Manager or senior administrator (e.g. company director, executive officer, local authority officer)			
Other (please specify)……………………………………….			

39.  What type of employer do you and your household’s Chief Income Earner work for? (please tick)

	You	Chief income earner
(if this is not you)	
Private firm or company			
Private firm or company			
National industry/ public corporation			
Local authority			
Health authority/ hospital			
Primary or secondary school			
College or university 			
Charity			
Never had a job			
Self-employed			
Other (please specify)			
Not applicable			

40.  What is your approximate annual household income? (please circle one)

£0-£9,000				£60,000-£69,000
£10,000-£19,000		£70,000-£79,000
£20,000-£29,000		£80,000-£89,000
£30,000-£39,000		£90,000-£99,000
£40,000-£49,000		£100,000 or above
£50,000-£59,000

41.  At what age did you (or will you) complete your full-time education?  (please write in) …………………….

41a.  Have you ever attended (or are you now attending) a university or college to study for a degree?  (please circle one)

Yes		No

41b.  (If yes) What was (or is) your main field of study? (please circle one)

a)  Arts and humanities (e.g. languages, philosophy, history)
b)  Social sciences (e.g. sociology, psychology, politics, planning)
c)   Business, law, management or economics
d)  Engineering
e)  Biology
f)  Other natural sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry)
g)  Medicine
h)  Other (please specify)………………………….

42.  And do you (please circle one)

a)  Own your own home outright (without mortgage)
b)  Own with a mortgage
c)  Rent from a council or development corporation
d)  Rent from a private landlord
e)  Other

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Kendal Project team and Lancaster University thank you very much for the time and help you have given. You are assured of the confidentiality of your individual replies, the overall results of the survey will be used in publications.

We are planning to continue our research in this area.  If you would be happy for us to contact you to arrange a follow-up interview, we would be very grateful if you could fill in your contact details below.  This in no way affects the confidentiality of your individual replies to the questionnaire, which will be kept within the research team only.  If you prefer to remain anonymous, just leave the section blank.

Name:

Phone:

Address: 

If you have any comments you would like to make on this questionnaire, or anything you would like to add, please feel free to write in here, and continue overleaf if necessary.